Paranormalcy (Kiersten White)
Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Copyright: 2010 (HarperTeen); 335 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-20720-3
Series: Paranormalcy
Sensuality: Kisses
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
From the Goodreads.com: Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours, but still. Normal.
Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie’s dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.
~&~
1. Reason for choosing this book:
Bookshelf bingo at Goodreads.com. I had read an excerpt and it intrigued me enough to add the book to my wishlist. I bought it using a gift card.
2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
(Cross-posted from Gooodreads.com)
I liked Evelyn (or Evie). She’s mostly upbeat and positive, and there isn’t a lot of angst. She’s mostly content with her life at the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA). Her best friend is Lish, a paranormal who works at the Center, and she has a mother-daughter like relationship with the head of the Center, Raquel. Evie would love to hang around with normal sixteen-year-olds and do normal 16-year-old-type things like go to a real high school, go to the prom, and have a boyfriend, but her unique abilities make her a valuable asset to the Center. She’s been doing the ‘bag and tag’ thing since she was eight years old and she’s good at it. Then Lend enters her world and he makes her question her life at the Center, and she learns there are things that Raquel has been keeping from her.
Evie eventually gets her wish and spends time in the mostly normal world that is Lend’s. In some ways, Evie reminded me Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Like Ariel, she longs to be a part of a world different from her own and she’s fascinated by some mundane things that normal people find ordinary. Lend’s a great guy and he understands what it’s like to be different. Evie can see the real him and likes him regardless, but she also worries that he’ll think she’s a freak of nature and won’t like her as much as she likes him.
Though Evie might not know everything about herself, or everything about paranormals that she needs to know, she’s spot on about the trustworthiness of the fae. The IPCA, including Raquel, dismisses Evie’s concerns and refuses to believe they could be wrong about their so-called control over the fae. As for Reth specifically, he may be acting in accordance with his own agenda, but I don’t think his intent is to harm or hurt Evie. Use and possess her, yes; but looking back at his actions, she’s too important to him for him not to care what happens to her, or dismiss her as unimportant like he does everyone else.
Over all, I liked the characters and found the book easy to read and follow. I read it a lot faster than I thought I would, given the fact that I wasn’t wowed by it. I’m not in any rush to read the next book, but I will probably listen to the audiobook, if available.
Added here: Evie’s decisions aren’t always the wrong ones and she does try to think things through before acting, most of the time.
3. Reasons for recommending this book:
Evie’s a fun character and, as I stated, there isn’t a lot of angst.
Started: 4 February 2012
Finished: 6 February 2012
Rating:
Liked It A Lot!
